Mark Durnan was glad he gambled to become Dundee United’s goal hero in their vital victory over Falkirk.
The Tangerines just edged a tight Championship clash at Tannadice on Saturday, with central defender Durnan starting and finishing the move that produced the winner.
With just eight minutes of regulation time remaining, he picked up the ball just outside his own penalty area, released it then continued to run forward and was in the right place to smash the ball home from eight yards after the ball came back to him from teammate Cammy Smith.
It was a strike that kept second-placed United just three points behind leaders Hibs.
While his manager Ray McKinnon jokingly asked what on earth he was doing all the way up the park, Durnan was glad he took a punt.
He said: “I managed to come out with the ball and I was immediately looking to make a pass and get back in position but there wasn’t one on.
“So I stepped out a bit more and then thought: ‘Why not keep going?’
“We were 80-odd minutes into the match and nothing had really broken for anyone.
“I just thought that I would go up and take a chance.
“The ball came in and fell for me and, thankfully, I stuck it away.
“I was just glad to get myself into a good position where I could help win the match.
“Sometimes you have to take a chance and I’m glad I did so.”
Durnan revealed that it wasn’t the first time he had started and finished off a winning goal, with memories coming flooding back of his strike against Hibs in a 1-0 success for Queen of the South.
He said: “I am not going to boast but I actually scored a similar goal against Hibs at Easter Road a couple of seasons ago, to win that game.
“It was probably even a bit better than this one!” he added with a smile.
“They were both important goals because I think after beating Hibs Queens then went on to take over at the top of the league from Falkirk.
“This time it was about building momentum for United as a squad and making sure we keep doing well so that we are up there at the end of the season.
“We want to keep putting pressure on Hibs and maybe even open up a gap between us and the other sides.
“We’re not looking over our shoulder – we are looking forward as a team.”
